GEORGE TOWN, Nov 15 — Police with the cooperation of the Penang Customs department uncovered a drug smuggling and trafficking syndicate following the arrest of a pawnshop operator and seizure of 58 kg of assorted synthetic drugs worth RM11.52 million.

Bukit Aman Narcotics CID director Bukit Aman Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said a police and Customs team had mounted a surveillance some weeks earlier on the pawn shop at Taman Usahaniaga, Bukit Mertajam near here before raiding it on Wednesday at 10.40pm.

“We detained a man aged 44 who operated the shop and seized 16.325kg of syabu and 1.109 kg of ketamin hidden in two metal cylinders,” he told a press conference here today, which was also attended by Penang Customs director Datuk Zulkifli Yahya.

He said police also found two fake pistols (a Colt and a WE) in the shop and found 40 large packets and two small packets of syabu weighing 40.898 kg inside five metal cylinders in a car belonging to the man.

Noor Rashid said police raided the suspect’s house at Jalan Bukit Kechil near the pawn shop and found another packet of syabu weighing 92 grams and RM954,700 cash hidden in a cylinder.

“Police also seized gold jewellery and four cars belonging to the man. Initial investigations revealed, the syndicate had been operating for some years and had links with an international drug syndicate.

“Based on our investigation, the drugs were smuggled in from China, with Malaysia as the transit point for distribution to the neighbouring countries,” he said.

Noor Rashid said police were confident of tracking down members of the syndicate who were believed to be in the state. — Bernama